This invention relates to a rotating-drum flying shear applied to a hot rolling equipment line or the like.
A rotating-drum flying shear applied to a hot rolling equipment line or the like is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 123919/1993. FIG. 8 shows the outline of a conventional rotating-drum flying shear disclosed in this publication.
In the conventional rotating-drum flying shear, as shown in FIG. 8, an extractable bearing frame 102 is mounted inside a housing 101. Inside the bearing frame 102, an upper rotating drum 103 and a lower rotating drum 104 as a pair are supported rotatably and movably toward and away from each other. The rotating drums 103 and 104 have shearing blades 103a and 104a, respectively, on their outer peripheral portions along their axial direction. That is, the upper rotating drum 103 has shaft end portions supported by the bearing frame 102 via eccentric sleeves 105, while the lower rotating drum 104 has shaft end portions supported by the bearing frame 102 via eccentric sleeves 106. By turning the eccentric sleeves 105 and 106, the upper and lower rotating drums 103 and 104 can be moved up and down so as to be movable toward and away from each other.
Laterally of the housing 101, a drive motor 107 is installed. An output shaft of the drive motor 107 is coupled to a gear box 108 having a pair of timing gears 108a, 108b. A rotating shaft of the timing gear 108a is connected to the shaft end portion of the upper rotating drum 103 by a transmission shaft 110 having universal joints 109a, 109b. Whereas a rotating shaft of the timing gear 108b is connected to the shaft end portion of the lower rotating drum 104 by a transmission shaft 112 having universal joints 111a, 111b. Thus, when the drive motor 107 is driven, its driving force is transmitted to the upper rotating drum 103 via the timing gear 108a and the transmission shaft 110, and is also transmitted to the lower rotating drum 104 via the timing gear 108b and the transmission shaft 112. As a result, the upper rotating drum 103 and the lower rotating drum 104 can be rotated synchronously in opposite directions.
A coupling gear 113 is fixed to the outside of the eccentric sleeve 105 that supports each shaft end portion of the upper rotating drum 103. A coupling gear 114 meshing with the coupling gear 113 is fixed to the outside of the eccentric sleeve 106 that supports each shaft end portion of the lower rotating drum 104. Below the coupling gear 114, a coupling gear 115 meshing with the coupling gear 114 is rotatably supported on the bearing frame 102 by a connecting shaft 116. Beside the housing 101, a drive motor 117 is installed. An output shaft 118 of the drive motor 117 is connected to the connecting shaft 116 via a transmission shaft 120 having universal joints 119a, 119b. Thus, when the drive motor 117 is driven, its driving force is transmitted to the coupling gear 115 via the transmission shaft 120 and the connecting shaft 116. As a result, the eccentric sleeve 105 integral with the coupling gear 113 is turned. Also, the eccentric sleeve 106 integral with the coupling gear 114 is turned. Hence, the rotating drums 103 and 104 can be moved toward and away from each other.
Furthermore, an interlocking gear 121 is fixed to each shaft end portion of the upper rotating drum 103 externally of the coupling gear 113. To each shaft end portion of the lower rotating drum 104, an interlocking gear 122 is fixed externally of the coupling gear 114. Thus, the interlocking gear 121 and the interlocking gear 122 do not mesh when the upper rotating drum 103 and the lower rotating drum 104 are apart from each other. When the upper rotating drum 103 and the lower rotating drum 104 are close to each other, the interlocking gear 121 and the interlocking gear 122 mesh. When the rotating drums 103 and 104 are rotated at this time, these rotating drums 103 and 104 can be instantaneously put into coaction with strong mesh.
With the foregoing conventional rotating-drum flying shear, a strip plate (not shown) moves fast, while being rolled, on a rolling equipment line. The strip plate passes between the upper rotating drum 103 and the lower rotating drum 104 that are separated from each other. Then, the strip plate is wound on a down-coiler at the end of the line. When the windup of the strip plate approaches completion, the drive motor 107 is driven to start rotating the rotating drums 103 and 104 synchronously in opposite directions via the transmission shafts 110 and 112, and adjust their rotational speed to be commensurate with the traveling speed of the strip plate. At a shearing position of the strip plate, the drive motor 117 is driven to turn the eccentric sleeves 105, 106 via the transmission shaft 120 and the coupling gears 115, 113, 114, thereby making the rotating drums 103 and 104 approach each other. At the approaching positions of the rotating drums 103 and 104, the interlocking gears 121 and 122 mesh, whereupon the rotating drums 103 and 104 coact with instantaneous strong mesh. Consequently, the strip plate during movement can be sheared by the shearing blades 103a and 104a. 
The conventional rotating-drum flying shear allows the single drive motor 107 to rotate the two rotating drums 103 and 104. For this purpose, the output shaft of the drive motor 107 is coupled to the gear box 108 having the timing gears 108a, 108b, and the gear box 108 is connected to the shaft end portions of the rotating drums 103 and 104 by the two transmission shafts 110 and 112. This poses the problem that the two transmission shafts 110 and 112 are elongated, and this drive system is upsized. Moreover, the two transmission shafts 110 and 112 are disposed at upper and lower positions in the same vertical plane. This makes it difficult to support these transmission shafts 110 and 112, and complicates the arrangement of a transmission system, so that its maintenance is not easy.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve these problems, and its object is to provide a rotating-drum flying shear of a downsized and simplified structure.
A rotating-drum flying shear according to the present invention comprises: a bearing frame; a pair of rotating drums each having shaft end portions rotatably supported by the bearing frame, and each having a shearing blade on an outer peripheral portion of the drum along an axial direction of the drum; rotating drum drive means for rotationally driving one of the pair of rotating drums; a pair of eccentric sleeves interposed, rotatably relative to each other, between the bearing frame and the shaft end portions of the pair of rotating drums; eccentric sleeve drive means for rotating the pair of eccentric sleeves relative to each other, thereby making the pair of rotating drums approach or separate from each other; rotating drum interlocking means for interlocking the pair of rotating drums when the pair of rotating drums approach each other; and rotating drum synchronizing means for synchronously rotating the one rotating drum and the other rotating drum regardless of approaching positions or separating positions of the pair of rotating drums.
Thus, a single transmission system connects the rotating drum drive means and the rotating drums together, so that this transmission system can be downsized. Besides, it is easy to support this transmission system, and its arrangement can be simplified. Consequently, its maintenance can be performed with safety and ease.
In the rotating-drum flying shear of the invention, the rotating drum interlocking means has a pair of interlocking gears fixed to the shaft end portions of the pair of rotating drums, and the rotating drum synchronizing means has a pair of timing gears opposed to the pair of interlocking gears in an axial direction in a mutually meshing state and rotatably supported by the bearing frame, and Oldham""s couplings interposed between the pair of interlocking gears and the pair of timing gears.
Thus, the interlocking gears, the timing gears, and the Oldham""s couplings are disposed, as a unit, on the bearing frame. By so doing, the bearing frame can be extracted as a block together with these members, and checked and repaired as a unit. Thus, maintenance can be performed safely and easily.
In the rotating-drum flying shear of the invention, the pair of timing gears are disposed at positions opposed to the pair of interlocking gears when the pair of rotating drums are at separating positions, and the Oldham""s couplings are disposed between end faces of the pair of interlocking gears and end faces of the pair of timing gears.
Thus, the structure can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In the rotating-drum flying shear of the invention, the rotating drum interlocking means has a pair of interlocking gears fixed to the shaft end portions of the pair of rotating drums, and the rotating drum synchronizing means has a pair of timing gears rotatably and horizontally movably supported by the bearing frame, while meshing with each other and meshing with the pair of interlocking gears.
Thus, the interlocking gears and the timing gears are disposed, as a unit, on the bearing frame. By so doing, the bearing frame can be extracted as a block together with these members, and checked and repaired as a unit. Thus, maintenance can be performed safely and easily.
In the rotating-drum flying shear of the invention, the pair of timing gears are rotatably supported by a horizontally movable frame horizontally movably supported by the bearing frame, and the pair of timing gears are link coupled while meshing with the pair of interlocking gears.
Thus, the structure can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.